by Chausiku Mkuya, Kisa Mentor
“Not everyone gets an opportunity to be in the Kisa Project and those who get that opportunity will find that it changes their lives completely”. That was the message shared by the Year Two Scholars (Form Six) when they were introducing the program to the new Form Five students who were being recruited.
Since 2010, the Kisa Project has expanded from two schools to twenty in the Arusha and Kilimanjaro regions. About 815 students in these partner schools have shown an interest in becoming Kisa Scholars this year. However, due to limited resources, only 592 students will get to experience the two years of leadership, personal development and community service training. At many schools, admission is more selective and the Mentors have to decide who can join. If there are too many Scholars in a class, the mentoring process will not be as effective.
Kisa Mentors consider these criteria to select the new groups of Scholars:
- Personal commitment toward the project
- Level of confidence
- Eagerness to learn new things
- Vision for her community
The recruitment process starts with introducing the project to the new Scholars. Those who are inspired enough then fill out the application forms. This is followed by an interview, and lastly, the names of the selected Scholars are posted on the school notice board.
During the interview, the most important question we ask the potential Scholar is what she expects from the Kisa Project. When answering, most of them spoke about the benefits shared by the Form Sixes during the introduction session. These include being confident, learning teamwork, fulfilling your personal goals, and achieving the vision you have for your community.
“I was inspired with the way the Kisa Scholars did the introduction for us. It seems Kisa enables girls to achieve their personal goals and be a part of the solution towards the challenges facing their societies. They spoke confidently and in a very strong and powerful voice. I can’t do that,” said one new recruit. Not yet, but before long, she will too!
